Improvement in turbine water-wheels



Tubine wateri eeeee s.

N0. 141,759. I PatentedAugusl2,1873.

UNITED ,STATES ELISHA I. H. OAPRON, OF HUDSON, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THEGAIJRON PATENT OFFICE,

WATEEWHEEL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPRGVEMENTIN TURBINE WATER-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,759, datedAAugust12, 1873 application filed December 17, 1872.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ELIsHA P. H. GAPRON, 'of the city of Hudson, in Jthecounty of Columbia and State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Turbine Water- Wheels; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in turbine water-wheels of the kindknown as the inward-flow turbine-wheel; and has for its object toconstruct the buckets or oats in such a manner that the power of thewater im'pin ging upon them shall be utilized and rendered effective tothe greatest possible extent; and also to provide improved means forattaching and securing the buckets to the disks, so that, while the saidbuckets are detachable and may each be removed and replaced withoutremoving the rest, they shall at the same time be capable of being asfirmly secured in position as they would be if cast solid with thedisks. The natureof my invention consists, first, in thenovel andpeculiar form and construction of the buckets themselves, for thepurpose of carrying out the objects of my invention. A vertical recessis formed on that side of the bucket on which the water impinges as itenters the wheel, near its outer end, into which said recess the waterrushes when it first strikes on the bucket, by which means the effectiveaction of the water is greatly increased and the sides of the saidrecess are placed. at such an angle with the line of the bucket that thewater, in its rebound, will be retained within the wheel, and not thrownoutward beyond its periphery. Running parallel with this recess, alittle nearer to the inner end of the bucket, is a groove forreceivingan upright bolt, by which the disks and buckets are secured in position,which said bolt or rod fits closely within the said groove. Each end ofthe bucket is brought to a thin edge, and upon the top edge and alsoupon the bottom edge of the bucket is provided a small slot, into whichfits a corresponding projection formed on each disk. And it consists,sec'- ondly, in the combination with the buckets, constructed as abovedescribed, of the disks provided with the projections already mentionedand fillets or beads running along the sides of the buckets, and theupright bolts, for the purpose of keeping the buckets securely andlirmly in position.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to amore particular description thereof, referring to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure lrepresents an elevation of the wheel,showing the buckets in position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the lowerdisk, showing the upper edges ofthe buckets. Fig. 3 is a side elevationof one of the buckets and portions of the disks in section; and Fig. 4,a section taken through the line l 2, (in Fig. 3,) showing the llets orbeads.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in each of thefigures.

A and A represent the upper and lower disks, and B B B the buckets orlioats. The disks have each a circular opening in their center fordischarging the water, and are secured to the shaft or spindle G bymeans of curved arms or tripods D D, and the said shaft() passescontinuously through the wheel, which rotates thereon. This constructionofthe wheel, however, I do not claim as forming a part of thisinvention.

My improvements consist, rst, in the peculiar form and construction ofthe buckets; and, secondly, in improved means for securing the samewithin the disks.

Each end of the bucket is brought to a thin A edge, as shown in Fig. 2,and near its outer end is formed a vertical recess, a, the extreme outerend of the bucket being made in a wedge-like form.. Running parallelwith this recess a and nearer to the inner end of the bucket is a secondrecess or groove, b, into which ts closely an upright bolt, e, having ascrew-nut at one end and a solid head or a screw-nut at the other end,which said ends extend to the outer sides of the upper and lower disksrespectively. Two ridges are thus form ed on that side of the bucketupon which the water impinges, one on each side of the recess a, and thesides or walls of the said recess thus formed are inclined slightlyinward. Into this recess the water rushes when it first enters thewheel, by which means it obtains a firm hold upon the bucket, and itspower is concentrated, and, the said recess being slightly inclinedinward, the Water, in its rebound, is retained within the wheel, and isnot thrown outward beyond the periphery of the disks. On the upper edgeof the bucket, as also on its lower edge, is a small slot, d, i-ntowhich fits a corresponding projection, d, provided on the inner side ofeach disk and upon the inner sides of each disks are fillets or beads ff f, either cast solid with the disks or rigidly secured thereto, andwhich t closely to 'the upper and lower portions of the sides of thebuckets, between which said fillets the buckets are inserted.

It will be seen that each bucket is separately detachable, and,when inposition, is held firmly by means of the fillets f, projections andslots d d', and bolt c, so that it cannot move in any direction, thuscombining the advantages attending itsv being detachable with thestability and firmness of a fixed bucket 5 and it will also be obviousthat, by the peculiar form and construction of the bucket, as regardsthat 'side of the same upon which the Water impinges,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure lby Letters Patent of the United' States, is-

1. A detachable bucket orfloat of a turbine water wheel, constructed asdescribed and shown, being provided with the recess a, groove b, andslots cl, for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The bucket B, constructed as shown and described, in combination withthe bolt o and disks A A, the latter being provided with the llets fffand projections, as and for the purposes set forth.

ELISHA P. H. GAPRON.

Witnesses:

JULIAN GIFFORD, ABRAHAM S. PEET.

